Jenn O, Los Angeles, CA. This is the dreadful question that I get almost all the time… I find myself always having to explain my background to people before they’re able to get past my appearance, and actually engage in an intellectual conversation.
My natural hair is not disrespectful.
Lunia Collado Cranston, RI As an adult, I’ve been living between the US and the Dominican Republic. While in the US, curly/kinky hair is not usually a big deal, it definitely can be, and is often perceived as unprofessional for situations such as job interviews and media appearances. In the Dominican Republic, the issue of […]
I am NOT just a statistic
Jeannine Chavez, Huntington Park, CA. As a United States citizen who lives in Los Angeles as a gay Mexican female, it has limited my privileges. Being a different race, sex, and having a different sexuality than others have all caused me to be oppressed and quite often hear remarks about these three social identities that […]
Appearance doesn’t matter, people deserve respect
Tim Pipa, Garden City, NY.
Based on appearance but shouldn’t be
John P Prieb, Bentonville, AR.
“Race” is a concept humans created.
R.E.A.L. Talk, High Tech Middle Media Arts, 7th Grade Trailblazer Before we did this project, I thought that race, was just, race, everyone had a race, and that was that, like a lot of the people in this world right now. But then in this project, we dived deeper, and we learned that “race” was […]
Why is my life worth more?
Jasmine Balsalobre, Oviedo, FL. My appearance does not determine my morals, my passions, my hobbies, my opinions, or my relationships, so how can it determine my value as a person? Why do I get to feel safe when I see a police officer while others, similar to me in all but skin color, fear for […]
Tired of judgment based upon appearance
Diane Eitel-Wortman, West Long Branch, NJ. Monmouth University It works both ways…. I am tired of people not recognizing people as simplistic as the fact that we are all people.
Focus on me, not my appearance
Shelby, Sunnyvale, CA. Too many people in this world focus on how we look when we should be focused on our character and our personality. We are too fascinated with our physical appearance when we should be fascinated with our words, our actions and our intelligence. Those are the things that should truly define who […]
No, but where are FROM from?
Tina, Birmingham. AL. Nevermind the fact that I speak with a southern accent, that my attire is noticeably of American influence, or that my last name is German. When someone asks where I’m from and I give them the name of my hometown, this answer is somehow unacceptable, so I give them the name of […]
Never judge anyone by their appearance
Adrian, Mission, TX. Never judge a book by its cover!
Why do people assume from appearance?
Michael Fredette American Canyon, CA
First question asked: Where’re you from?
Rayna Rochester, MN People of other skin colors can be from America too. Even though it’s probably not meant to be offensive, it is a little irritating when strangers repeatedly ask this question when I meet them, just because of my appearance.
Educated people know my internal appearance
Minsang Kang Long Island City, NY
Life is unchanging revolving around race
Andie Sandy Springs, GA Everyone always judges based on appearance this one this remains the same as life goes on.
We are all shades of brown.
Paul Ruscher Eugene, OR Explore Identity It is time to ignore appearance…it facilitates judging others. I am a father of 11 including 5 adopted kids and I love them all and wish others did. but my biological kids (Caucasian) have always been more accepted than my darker complected ones (adopted from India and some from […]
Because I’m White, I’m presumed racist.
Robert C. Reynolds Sapulpa, OK All races and societies have racist individuals. Yet because I am caucasian, I feel I am singled out, profiled as a racist by non-whites, merely because of my appearance. That is as wrong as any profiling of hoodie-wearing black youth as up to no good. Who speaks up on my […]
Appearance judgments – Yesterday Asian / Tomorrow Caucasian
Teresita Tomita Gant Kailua-Kona, HI When I lived in the continental US, I found people generally judged me by the way I looked. When I was little, I looked more Asian so that’s the way I was treated. With the passage of time, my appearance has changed. Some persons think I’m white so the way […]
Altering appearance hoping for acceptance, celebration.
Jenny Rickard Ann Arbor, MI
You don’t look like you’re Chinese.
Jess Washington DC My mom is Chinese. My dad is white. I am half-Chinese, but my appearance is ambiguous. I feel like I have to “come out” as half-Chinese in certain contexts. For instance, being part of a group of people who acknowledge lack of diversity or a group of people SEEKING diversity. Race is […]
Categories of people determined by appearance
Mica Cocco College Park, MD University of Maryland
Race describes appearance and nothing deeper.
Hanna Samad Chapel Hill, NC
Faces of TRCP
SPOTLIGHT SCHOOL
In The News
Peabody Award
Recent Race Cards
